Six-wheel car-truck



Patented J une 14, 1921.

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I? N\ N1 IWI kv H. M. PFLAGER.

SlX WHEEL CAR TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, 1920.

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I IIIIIIIIII u UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

HARRY I. PFL/AGEB, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 COMMONWEALTHSTEL COMPANY, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

SDI-WHEEL CAR-TRUCK.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14., 1921.

To all whom t my concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY M. PFLAGER Aa citizen of the'` United States, residing at t. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Six-Wheel Car- VTrucks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the' art to which it appertains to make and' use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates generally to railway car truck construction and more particularly to a new and improved spring equalizer arrangement for six wheel trucks, and which arrangement is particularly designed for yieldingly supporting the truck frame upon the journal boxes of the truck.

In six wheel trucks, it is essential that the weight imposed on the journals of the axles through the truck frame be distributed equally between the three journals on each side of the truck, and in order to accomplish this, it has heretofore Ibeen customary to place a single spring on each equalizer, said spring being located at a point approximately two-thirds of the distance awayfrom the middle axle toward each end axle so that two-thirds of the load imposed on each spring will be transmitted to each end axle, and

lthe other one-third to themiddle axle, thus equally distributing the'weight of the load.

With this customary construction, due to the size of the wheels used, the excessively arge spring required to carry the load and its location one-third of distance inward vtwo springs of different toward middle axle, completely obscures some of the heads and shoes and other parts of the brake rigging and renders it ve difficult to inspect, remove and replace these parts.

The principal object of my invention is' to provide a construction which permits an unobstructed view of all brake. heads, shoes, and adjacent parts and by utilizing a plurality of springs between the rigid equal-izing member and the truck frame, I am able to position said springs within the outline of the wheels ofthe truck and thus in no wise obscure any of the brake parts.

Other objects of my" vention are to generally improve the constr ction of the load distributing arrangements heretofore utilized in six-wheel trucks and to provide a reliable, simple and efficient arrangement including load-carrying capacities, said springs coperating with a substantially rigid equalizin member for effecting the proper distribution of the imposed welghts upon the journals of the truck.

Further objects of my invention are to provide for the equal distribution and absorption of shocks and vibration, due to track irregularities and prevent such shocks and vibrations from being distributed to the w car body, tlierely making the riding movement of said bo more easy and gentle.

yWith the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the side portion of a six wheel truck frame that is equipped with myl improved weight distributing and Aequalizing means.

F1g.'2 is a side elevational view of the truckconstructed in accordance with my in vention.

Fig. Sie a plan view of the side portion of a six wheel truck equi ped with' a modified form of weight distri uting andequalizing means. y

Fig'. 4 is a side elevational view of the' truck equipped with theinodified form of welight distributing means.

ig. 5 is an enlarged cross section taken approximately on ythe line 5 5 of F ig.4. Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, and vparticularly to the construction illustrated in F igs, l and 2, 10 piece of an accepted designates the wheel type of six wheel truck frame, and which ry* latter includes end pieces 11, and transom member 12. Rigidlyv fixed to and depending from the wheel pieces are pedestal jaws such as 13, between which are positioned the I usual journal boxes 14, that contain the bearings for the ends of the wheel carrying)axles 15.

isposed between the middle journal box on each side of the truck frame and the end journal boxes are rigid -equalizing members, each of which comprises a substantially straight middle portion 16, upwardly bent end portions, 17, and horizontally disposed terminal portions 18, the latter bearing on top of the journal boxes 14. These equalizers occupy positions directly below the wheel pieces 1() of the truck frame, and in order to accommodate the upwardly projecting end portions 17, the pedestal j aws 13 are necessarily bifurcated or provided for a certain distance with vertically disposed slots.

Interposed between the inner en ds of the straightportions 16 of the equalizers and the wheel pieces' 10 of the truck frameare springs 19, the ends thereof bearing against suitable spring seats or plates 20 that are arranged on said wheel pieces and equalizers, and arranged between the outer portions of the straight equalizers and the wheel pieces 10 are springs 21, the ends of which bear upon suitable spring seats or plates 22. The springs 21are relatively heavier and therefore have greater capacity than the springs 19, the propdrtions being such that two-thirds of theV Weight of the loads imposed by the truck frame on the two springs associated with each equaliz'er'will be transmitted to the outer axle and onethird tothe middle axle. As a result of this arrangement, the weight of the load carried by the truck frame is distributed equally between the threejournals on each side, of. the truck, and consequently distributed equally between all of the journals.

Inasmuch as the springs 19 and 21 are located adjacent to the pedestals 13 and practically inside the circumferences of the adjacent wheels, said springs in no wise obstruct-the free inspection, removal and replacement of the brake heads, brake shoes, and other parts of the brake rigging associated with the truck.

,In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 I have disclosed a vmodified arrangement of the equalizing members and springs, and which modified construction involves the use of substantially straight rigid equalizing members 23, the same being disposed within the substantially hollow` wheel pieces of the truck frame, with their ends bearing upon the journal boxes or upon blocks 24 which rest upon and'project upwardly from said journal boxes. epending from these equalizing members and extending downward through suitable openings formed in tlie lower wall of the wheel piece are hangers 25, the same being located adjacentV to the .pedestals, and the lower ends of said hangers carrying spring supporting plates 26.

Interposed between the outer pair of these plates and the wheel piece of the truck l' frame are relatively heavy springs 27, and interposed between the inner pair of plates 26 and the wheel piece are lighter springs 28. In this modified arrangement, the results achieved by the construction heretofore described, namely, theI equal distribution of the weight of the loads imposed upon the truck frame between the journals of the truck, is the same and likewise the springs associated with the equalizing members are positioned so as to permit free access to the outer arts of the brake rigging associated with t e truck.

The load distributing arrangement contemplated by my invention is comparatwely simple, can be easily and cheaply manufactured, materially increases the flexibility of the truck, and is very effective in performing its intended functions` y It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of my improved six wheel car-truck can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims. claim:

1. A; viexible support kfor vrailway car trucks .comprising substantially rigid equalizing members supported upon the journal boxes associated with the truck, and a pair of sprin s interposed between each equalizing mem r and the truck frame, one spring of each pair being located betweenl the centers of said equalizing members and the ends thereof,said springs having different load carrying capacities.

2. A lexible support for railway 'car trucks comprising substantially rigid equal- Y izing members supported upon the journal boxes associated with the truck, and a pair of 'springs interposed between each equalizing member and the truck frame, one spring of each pair being located between the centers of said equalizing members and the ends thereof, one of said springs having greater carrying capacity than the other.

-3. A fiexlble' support;l for railway car trucks comprising substantially rigid'equalizing members supported upon the journal boxes associated with the truck, and a plurality of truck supporting springs of different load carrying capacities associated with each equalizing member, there being a spring on each side of the center of said equalizing members.

4. A flexible support for railway car trucks comprising a plurality of pairs of springs, the members of each pair having differentload carrying capacities, and a substantially rigid equalizing member associ. ated with each pair of springs and said equalizing members and springs being arranged between the truck frame and the journal boxes associated therewith, one spring of each pair being located between the centers of said equalizing members and the endsthereof.

5. Ina six wheel car truck, the combination with the truck frame and thejournal boxes associated therewith. of means for equally distributing the weight of loads imposed upon the truck frame between the journals,r in said journal boxes;y said lmeans `comprislng substantially rigid equalizing 6.- In a six wheel car truck, the combination with the truck frame and the journal boxes associated therewith, of means for equally distributing the weight of loads imposed upon the truck frame between the journals in said journal boxes, said means `comprising substantially rigid equalizing members supported by the journal boxes, and a pair of springs arranged between each equalizing member and the ttruck frame, one spring of each pair having greater load carrying capacity than the other, one spring of each pair being located between the centers of said equalizing members and the ends thereof. p

7. In a six wheel car truck, the combination with the truck frame and the journal boxes associated therewith, of means for equally distributing the weight of loads imposed ,upon the truck frame between the journals in said journal boxes, said means comprising substantially rigid equalizing members supported by the journal boxes, a spring interposed between each equalizing member and the truck frame and located adjacent to the center journal box, and a spring interposed between each equalizing member and the truckframe and located adjacent to the outer journal box, said last mentioned spring having greater load carrying capacity than the spring adjacent to the center journal box.

S. AIn a six wheel car truck, the combination with the truck frame and the journal boxes associated therewith, of means for equally distributing the weight of loads imposed upon the truck frame between the journals in` said journal boxes, said means comprising substantially rigid equalizing members supported by the journal boxes,

and springs interposed between the centery and the end portions of each equalizing member and the truck frame, said springs having diiferent load carryingcapacities.

9. In a six wheel car truck, the combination with the truck frame andthe journal yboxes associated therewith, of means for springs has a equally distributing the weight of loads imposed upon the truck frame between the journals in said journal boxes, said means comprising substantially rigid equalizing members supported by the journal boxes, and springs interposed between the end portions and the center of each equalizing member and the truck frame, one of which greaterload carrying capacity than theother.

10. Ina six wheel ca-r truck, the combination with the truck frame ard the journal boxes associated therewith` of means for equally distributing the weight of loads imposed upon the truck frame between the journals in said journal boxes, said means comprising substantially rigid equalizing .members supported by the journal boxes,

relatively light springs interposed between the center and the inner portions of said equalizing members and the truck frame, and heavier springs interposed between the center and the outer portions of said equalizing members and the truck frame.

1l. A flexible support for six-wheel railway car trucks comprising substantially rigid equalizing members supported directly `by the journal boxes associated with the truck, and a pair 'of springs interposed between eaclrefualizinfr member and the truck frame, said springs being located adjacent to the axles and lying substantially within the outline of the wheels so as to present an unobstructed view of and to give access to the brake heads, brake shoes, and adjacent parts of the brake rigging;

12. A flexible support for railway car trucks comprising substantially rigid equalizing members supported upon the journal boxes associated with the truck, and a pair of springs interposed between each equalizing member and the truck frame, said springs being located adjacent to the axles and lying substantially within 'the outline of the wheels so as to present an unobstruct` ed view of and to give access to the brake heads, brake shoes, and adjacent parts of the brake rigging.

13. A fiexible vsupport for railway car shoes, and adjacent parts of the brake rig ging.

14. A flexible support for railway car trucks comprising a plurality of pairs of springs. and a substantially rigid equalizing member associated with each pair of springs. said equalizing members and springs being arranged between the truck frame and the journal boxes associated therewith, said springs being located adjacent to the axles and lying substantially within the outline of the wheels so as to present an unobstructed view of and to `ive access to the brake heads, brake shoes. and adjacent parts of the brake rigging.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature this 30th day of January, 1920.

H. M. PFLAGER. 

